Day 29

Mornings can be hectic at the Snider house... especially school mornings.  Packing lunches, eating breakfast, brushing teeth and getting out the door on time can be a real challenge.  But there is one thing we do each morning that I love... I pray scriptures over the boys and we read a devotion.  The scripture prayers are called 31 Ways to Pray for Your Children  by Bob Hostetler.  It's a simple, easy way to not only pray scriptures over my sons, but also for them to hear the truth and be reminded of how God wants them to live.  Here's a link if you want to check it out:  http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/living/30-day-challenge-31-ways-to-pray-for-your-children-printable-calendar/

Any guesses on the devotion we read each morning?  You got it!  Jesus Calling 365 Devotions for Kids.  Yep, they tweaked the devotions to relate to a younger audience.  My boys love it and even remind me to read it sometimes if I forget. 

To be honest, I sometimes wonder if any of it sinks in.  My three year old might be playing with his plate... they could easily be daydreaming about something else, you know, just going through the motions of our morning routine.  But today, I discovered that it was sinking in.  My seven year old was ready for bed and came downstairs carrying his Bible.  He informed me that he was going to drink his milk and read his Bible, because he remembered that the devotion said it was important to read the Bible and spend time with God.  Then he said, "I love to read my Bible!!"  Another moment I will treasure in my heart.  As I gave my three year old a bath, I could hear my son reading out loud.  I can only imagine the smile on God's face...

And then it hit me... I was being convicted unknowingly by my seven year old.  When was the last time that I was that excited about reading my Bible?  Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy studying God's word and it is part of my routine... but typically when things are part of your routine, you just do it.  It's not exciting.  You don't really jump for joy.  You just execute the task and move on to the next thing on your list.  I'm thankful that my seven year old's enthusiasm reminds me to be excited about reading my Bible too. 

Hebrews 4:12 gives us some insight into why we should be excited about reading our Bible:  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  What other book is living and active?  This may sound kinda strange, but God's Word really is alive.  I've experienced this.  I might read some scriptures one day and not get much out of them, then all of a sudden, I read the same scriptures another time and God speaks to me when I read the exact same verses.  That's God's living Word in action!  We can read God's Word again and again and He can use it in different ways to communicate with us. Aren't you glad that God loves us so much that He speaks to each one of us individually using the same words in the Bible?  That's definitely something to be thankful for!!  And a good reminder for me to get more excited when I spend time studying His Word.

Tonight, I am thankful for...

1.  A lukewarm shower this morning that reminded me how much I appreciate my typical hotter showers
2. My three year old sneaking back into bed so I would sing to wake him up
3.  An unsolicited hug from my son
4.  My seven year old doing an amazing job setting the table for company tonight... no complaints and it looked perfect!
5.  Tylenol
6.  The lessons God teaches me through my children
7.  The reminder to get excited about studying the Bible because God has a message just for me each time I read it - amazing!
8.  Smiling snowman mug filled with peppermint tea
9.  God answering prayers
10.  The Excel spreadsheet that allows me to track our 10,000 reasons for being thankful

Here's to 10,000 reasons... Only 6,868 to go...